Travel photo: Monkey Temple, Kathmandu Valley

This week’s #FriFotos theme* is holy places. My choice of holy place today is Swayambhunath stupa, Kathmandu. Along with six other groups of monuments in the Kathmandu Valley, the temple was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1979. It is first and foremost a Buddhist shrine, but also important in Hinduism.

Monkey Temple

Since holy monkeys live here, it’s also known as the Monkey Temple. And what makes these monkeys holy? I’m glad you asked. This gives me an opportunity to point out yet another similarity between Nepal and Norway. Not only do both begin with N, not only are they both very mountainous countries. But they’ve also both had rulers slightly obsessed with their hair!

In Norway, 9th century Viking king Harald Fairhair refused to cut his hair until all of Norway was joined together in one kingdom. And in Nepal, Manjushree, the bodhisattva of wisdom, didn’t cut his hair until he had finished building the Swayambhunath temple hill.

Hygienic conditions couldn’t have been the best, because he got head lice. But here comes the interesting part: Manjushree’s lice, you see, they magically transformed into monkeys.

The monkeys are still here. In droves. And some quite aggressive. Although one of the young ones was a sweet little thing: hopping about on the railings, he (or she) followed me all the way up the stairs and insisted on grabbing my hand over and over. Adorable at first, annoying after a while…

I like them, too – but I must admit, at a little distance, at least when they’re aggressive. A friend of mine is very bothered by monkeys, though – they’re too much like humans for her comfort, I think, a reminder of our more primitive traits.

Lovely picture, I remember when I went to India everybody was scared of monkeys and they kept telling me because they are too naughty and they beat everyone up! I’ve always found them very cute 🙂 That temple is probably better than one I visited in Bikaner, India, full of rats!

I remember those aggressive monkeys well but the head lice story is all new to me. Amazing the stuff we learn on your site Sophie. I was there in pre digital days too and all my shots were on slide film.

And in Nepal, Manjushree, the bodhisattva of wisdom, didn’t cut his hair until he had finished building the Swayambhunath temple hill. I am tour guide in Nepal and take tourist to Swoyambhunath Stupa (also popularly known as monkey temple among tourists) for sightseeing. Have never heard about Manjushree’s such vow. Real travelers dig beneath and discover such ! Happy to read this blog. wish you peace !